Where do you want to go this summer? Whether you’re dreaming of a glamorous European escape, a far-flung adventure, or somewhere entirely unexpected, these fabulous reads can take you there — no TSA lines, overstuffed suitcases, or delayed flights required. So whether you have a trip planned and need an entertaining tome to tote with you or can't travel this summer, here are 20 new books that have the power to transport, and where they'll take you.
If you want to go to… then read…
Cuba and Harvard: Now Then by Morgan Radford
NBC News correspondent Morgan Radford’s novel takes us through the hallowed halls of Harvard, where her main character, Lily, navigates new relationships and a brand-new world while also uncovering secrets about her mother’s past in Cuba.
Mississippi: The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett
This massive bestseller by the author of The Help is a deep dive into 1933 Oxford, Mississippi, tracking the lives of an orphan determined to better her life and a wealthy family that loses everything. The storylines meet in a page-turning exploration of class, society, wealth, and, ultimately, love.
On a cruise: The Shippers by Katherine Center
Bestselling author Katherine Center takes us into the inner world of Jojo Burton, who embarks on her sister’s destination wedding with her own agenda. She’s trying to get over her lost love, but the scheme goes awry when someone else enticing comes into the picture.
A retirement community: Enormous Wings by Laurie Frankel and When Lemons Give You Life by Anna Johnston
In Enormous Wings, a grandmother enters a nursing home only to take up with her next-door neighbor and become unexpectedly pregnant. In When Lemons Give You Life by Anna Johnston, a midlife Michelin-star chef finds himself at an eldercare facility. His love of food will lead to some unexpected, uplifting plot twists. Both narratives turn aging on its head and teach us what life is really about.
Play tennis in the UK: Forty Love by Jane Costello
Jane Costello’s protagonist Jules is a new empty-nester who decides to take up tennis only to also take up with a long-lost love. It’s really about female friendships, adult siblings, motherhood at every stage, and the humor required to get through it all.
Imperial Russia and Baku on the Caspian Sea: The Lost Empire of Emanuel Nobel by Douglas Brunt
For history buffs or anyone who enjoys a sweeping narrative, bestselling author Douglas Brunt crafts a deftly told tale that profiles the family behind the Nobel Prize, the times that might have been forgotten, and the rise of oil to prominence worldwide.
France: The Gulf of Lions by Caitlin Shetterly
Follow Alice and her two daughters as she takes a break from her husband Pete, who recently cheated on her. As the threesome winds its way through the countryside, Alice finds more than just beautiful vistas. She's also navigating breast cancer, which lends a gravitas to her quest for identity, fun, and freedom.
Iceland: The First Lady Next Door by Eliza Reid
Ever wondered what it would be like if your partner suddenly ran an entire country? Eliza Reid lived it. In her new memoir, she reveals exactly what that was like and, along the way, teaches us about Iceland, politics, protocol, and stepping into new roles.
Buckingham Palace: The Kennedys and the Windsors by Caroline Hallemann
It’s fascinating to read about how the Kennedys and the Windsors intersected throughout the years. Caroline Hallemann weaves their stories together in this incisive look at two prominent families.
The North Shore of Massachusetts: The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson
OK, that doesn’t sound like a glamorous destination, but trust me, you'll be entertained. Jenny Jackson takes us behind the scenes of a long-established friend group when an outsider joins the ranks, and she captures a period of great transition so clearly you’ll feel like you’re nursing a hangover with her crew in the morning.
Dallas: The Burning Side by Sarah Damoff
Join April and Leo as they deal with the house fire that destroyed their lives just as they were about to blow up their marriage. They move back in with April’s parents and try to put their life back together by reconstructing the past while they cope with April’s dad’s early-onset Alzheimer’s.
Hollywood: Don’t Buy What I’m Selling by Lu Chekowsky
Lu Chekowsky takes us to the halls of the esteemed ad agency Wieden & Kennedy, to the set of MTV, to her parents’ hot, humid Florida living room, and elsewhere as she paints a portrait of the life of a bright woman who is uncomfortable in her own skin and is learning to love herself after all.
Athens: Arrivals and Departures by Amanda Eyre Ward
A woman flies to Athens to track down her missing sister in this lovely tale of a family in crisis and how they reconnect.
Pakistan: The Wilder Way by Eva Zu Beck
Eva Zu Beck broke up with her fiancé and decided to go not-so-glamping. Alone in the desert, Eva launches a successful YouTube travel blog that took her to the upper echelons of the Pakistani government among other unexpected places. Sometimes you have to travel around the globe to find yourself.
Los Angeles: Crash into Me by Robinne Lee
When a married mom runs into a woman from her past, she goes from being the responsible party to a woman in lust. As she wanders from massive closets to elegant luncheons in L.A., she discovers who she really is and wants to be. Bonus trip: Paris.
A secluded cabin: Helpless by Jessica Knoll
I was flipping pages faster than I could read them to get to the end of Jessica Knoll’s riveting new story about a friend group, a college professor, a secluded cabin, and even the halls of Netflix.
Sardinia in the 1970s: The Half-Life by Rachel Beanland
Rachel Beanland’s father was in the military, so she spent part of her childhood on a remote island, which she uses as the backdrop for a story about a woman’s search for self, a community’s response to the U.S. presence, and a love that may or may not go unrequited.
The halls of Helen Gurley Brown’s Cosmopolitan: Single Girls by John Searles
What was it like to be a Cosmo girl? Former Cosmopolitan editor John Searles doesn’t want us to forget. He takes us into Helen Gurley Brown’s childhood, office, and home, giving readers a 360-degree view of how the esteemed magazine became a game-changer.
Paris: The Parisian Heist by Jo Piazza
No, Jo Piazza didn’t write this as a response to the Louvre robbery; it was already coming out. In her trademark accessible prose, Piazza introduces us to Jo Van Gogh, the woman behind the artist and a contemporary artist herself struggling to make ends meet, whose cleaning job uncovers more than dust.
